Mato Grosso recorded an external surplus of US$ 7.24 billion in the first half of the year. The volume puts Mato Grosso's foreign trade in the spotlight, presenting the second largest in the country, despite the drop of 4.2% compared to last year, being surpassed only by Minas Gerais.
In the ranking of state exports, during the period Mato Grosso maintained the 6th national position, among the main exporting states in Brazil, contributing with 7.4% of the country's total amount.
From January to June this year, Mato Grosso's exports totaled revenue of US$ 8.04 billion, registering a small drop, of 2.7%, in relation to the US$ 8.21 billion recorded in the same accumulated last year, but imports recovering , with growth of 22.4% in the same period. And it is precisely the difference between exports and imports that generates the positive balance, a state trade balance surplus of US$ 7.24 billion. Last year, the balance was US$ 7.56 billion.
As PR Consultoria economist Carlos Vitor Timo Ribeiro draws attention, in the same period of comparison, Brazilian shipments totaled revenue of US$ 107.71 billion, registering growth of 19.3% in relation to the US$ 90.25 billion negotiated in January to June last year. “Very positive performance for improving the business environment and greater business confidence. The country's surplus was US$ 26.21 billion, with a strong increase of 53% compared to last year, even with the increase of 7.3% in imports, signaling a beginning of recovery of the national economy and an relief to the crisis”. He adds, explaining that when imports increase, they indicate that there is an intention to invest in domestic production, which opens up new work fronts, consequently generating income for the population.
Regarding the composition of the state agenda, Timo Ribeiro highlights that this year there was an increase – already – a strong concentration of business on agribusiness products such as soybeans, corn, meat and cotton, which together account for 97.6% of the total exported, of which, 83% only with sales of the soybean complex (grain, bran and oil), being the group with the greatest leadership.
PRODUCTS – Exports from the soybean complex totaled US$ 6.67 billion, registering a growth of 14.3% in value, due to the increase in physical shipments of soybeans and soybean oil. External sales of bran, on the contrary, registered a drop in physical volume. “We closed the first half of the year accounting for 32.6% of the country's total soybean shipments, 37.3% of bran, 18.8% of soybean oil and 41% of the exported volume of flour and pellets, indicators that show well the importance of this industrial chain installed here in the State”.
The value exported until March, of just US$ 503.54 million, is in contrast to US$ 1.54 billion in the same period last year, a strong retraction of 67.5% due to corn sales that fell from 7.26 million to just 1.68 million tons. “This year, even so, we are responsible for 52.4% of physical sales of corn and practically 85% of cotton in the country, which also accredits us as an important player in national agribusiness”.
Beef with US$ 494.52 million in revenue has been sustaining the 3rd position in the state's external agenda, registering an increase of 8.2% in value and only 1.5% in volume, despite the increase of 6.5% in the international price.
Pork sales continue to recover in value, with growth of 34.6% due to the increase in international prices of 34.6%. Poultry meat, on the contrary, accumulated a decline of 19.7% in physical volume and 15.9% in revenue, even with an increase of 4.8% in prices.
“The performance of the meat complex, despite a positive total volume, is strongly threatened by the effects of 'Operation Carne Fraca' and the criminal denunciation of the owners of JBS, events that, combined with the problems with the reaction to the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, still could have negative consequences throughout the year in the beef segment.”
FROM GAIN TO LOSS – Another point highlighted by the economist is the reversal of the so-called 'exchange rate effect' on the billing of the agenda. As he explained, the effect of the exchange rate, until June, reversed direction and now imposes a “loss” of R$ 1.04 billion, due to the appreciation of 3.8% of the dollar against the real. “With the average dollar for June this year, R$ 3.290, exports total R$ 26.47 billion, compared to R$ 27.51 billion with the average dollar for June last year, at R$ 3.420. The loss of the currency exchange rate signals the negative difference of R$ 1.04 billion, which we call “exchange rate loss” with negative consequences for the economy of Mato Grosso, which has, in exports, a significant contribution to the historical formation of the state's GDP. The losses took about R$ 1.04 billion out of circulation from the local economy.”
Source: Agrolink